charity: water

Project Description

charity: water

Mission

Nearly one out of every ten people in the world, and especially in Africa, don’t have running water in their homes and have to walk very far to collect it from streams or rivers, which takes time away from people that could be spent going to work or school. The water is also often dirty and filled with disease. The charity believes that access to clean water for everybody is vital. By working with local communities, charity: water put sustainable solutions in place to achieve their goal: clean water for everybody.

Supported causes

Charity: water supports all sustainable water related causes including:
Hand-Dug Wells – Wells as deep as 15 metres are dug up by skilled labourers to reach water aquifers below.
Drilled Wells – A team of professional drillers drill deep into the earth to reach water aquifers.
Rainwater Catchments – Rainfall is captured by rooftop gutters into clean holding tanks.
Gravity Fed Systems – Water is fed to a community from an elevated source by using the force of gravity.
Piped Systems – Pipes are networked to supply water to taps stationed throughout the community.
Water Purification Systems – Treatment systems are installed to remove contaminants from water systems.
BioSand Filters – Microbacterial film and layers of sand filter out contaminants.
Spring Protections – Pure spring water is captured and safely stored with this system.
Latrines – Safety and privacy is provided with covered shelters.
Covered shelters provide safety and privacy for bathroom users.

Grants/award programs

The organisation has funded over 17,600 water projects thus far in 24 countries. The selection process involves charity: water selecting a geographic area based on needs assessments. Then representatives travel to the location to find inspiring organisations who are implementing sustainable water solutions, with the aim of funding their most successful projects. Partners are subjected to a strict vetting process and eventually selected based on how well they support the objectives of charity: water in providing long-term sustainable solutions.

Funded Organizations/Projects

Organisations that are in partnership with and receive support from charity: water include:
• Action Against Hunger
• Brac
• ClearCambodia
• Concern Worldwide
• GOAL
• Gram Vikas
• Rescue
• Jal Bhagirathi Foundation
• Nepal Water for Health
• Splash
• Water for People
• Water for Good
• WorldVision
• Relief Society of Tigrav (R.E.S.T)

Foundation’s History

Charity: water was founded in 2004 by Scott Harrison who was a New York club promoter for a decade before committing to two years of volunteer service with the Mercy Ships in Liberia. He realised that a lot of the problems around education, health and safety were cause by the lack of clean drinking water. Harrison became inspired to make a difference in Africa and other developing countries and started fundraising to help his cause which lead to charity: water being established. The organisations uses social media and events to raise awareness and money and has thus far spent over US$155 million on more than 9,000 water projects in countries around the world. .